SINGAPORE, March 31 (Bernama) -- The concept of Islam Hadhari or civilisational Islam will go a long way in helping to relieve the religion from the burdens of being connected with terrorism, an analyst said.

Zaid Hamzah, who is also a consultant with Microsoft Legal & Corporate Affairs, Asia Pacific, said the concept, introduced by Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, is a very clear attempt "to re-focus on the progressive value of Islam."

"Islam at this point in our history post-911, the agenda is being driven by a minority. It is the task of the majority to portray Islam in its complete way," he told Bernama in an interview after delivering a talk on "Strategic Technology Thinking in Malaysia and Islam Hadhari as the Re-orientation of the Islamic Worldview" at the Nanyang Technological University here recently.

"In my personal view, if we succeed in getting the message across that Islam is about preserving those key values, that would help moderate the small group whose views on Islam, I think, is distorted," said Zaid, 47, an author and a technology and intellectual property strategist.

Islam Hadhari, he said, focuses on the quest to rejuvenate Islamic civilisation, among others, through science and technology.

"If the world can recognise and accept that, then the narrow agenda that is being pushed by a small group, I hope would be neutralised.

"If the global community, perhaps starting in Malaysia, reach a point when they can recognise this as beneficial not just for the Muslim but the rest of the world, especially post-911, then Islam Hadhari can help change worldviews.

"And I think that's the way to help relieve us of this burden of currently being connected to the issue of terrorism," said Zaid, who is also a former diplomat.

He said it was in the interests of the West and the rest of Asia to support Abdullah's Islam Hadhari concept.

"I wouldn't know if the international community would accept it, but I'm not aware of opposition to Islam Hadhari (at the international level) because what Pak Lah is attempting to do is to remind us that this is the true nature of Islam," he added.